Pirelli prepares to switch tyres after F1 chaos

Pirelli was today due to announce a change to its tyres following the dangerous farce at the British Grand Prix, where there were five blow-outs.

It was reported this morning that Pirelli would use Kevlar-belt tyres at Sunday’s German Grand Prix, rather than the steel-belt ones which exploded at Silverstone.

McLaren’s Sergio Perez suffered tyre failure twice last weekend and his team-mate, Jenson Button, today summed up the fears of the drivers.

“If we keep these tyres, then yes, I have safety concerns,” said Button. “Five tyre explosions, and whether it’s from debris or whether it’s a tyre failure, I don’t care. The result is the same, the danger is the same.

“It’s dangerous for the driver, it’s dangerous for the people behind in terms of hitting the car [on which the tyre has failed] or the tread belt hitting the driver. The need for safety cars doesn’t look good for Pirelli. It’s certainly not good for the racing and for the safety.”